Should Food Stamps Be Restricted From Buying Soda?

The mayors of New York, Newark and 16 other cities are reviving a push against letting food stamps be used to buy soda and other sugary drinks.

In a letter to congressional leaders today, the mayors say it's "time to test and evaluate approaches limiting" the use of the subsidies for sugar-laden beverages, in the interest of fighting obesity and related diseases.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture, which runs the food stamp program, declined to comment on the letter.

And the American Beverage Association, which has previously clashed with Bloomberg and has said sugary drinks shouldn't be singled out as a cause of obesity, had no immediate comment.

Last year more than 47 million Americans used food stamps -- technically, the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

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